The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-01-27

The one mill school tax law will likely
be repealed at this session of the legisla-
ture, and it must be confessed that its
repeal need not be the occasion of much
regret. The grounds on which Its repeal
is asked are by no means grounds OF
valid opposition to it. Education can
not be considered local matter and to
the extent of demanding intelligence in
the interests of good government and tie
perpetuity of republican institutions
there are no county lines. The princi-
pie is that property pays the expenses OF
public education. Property. so far as it
has interests in the diffusion of intelli-
gence, has concern reaching beyond the
school district and the county.
When the law first went into eject The
Pilot heartily approved it and predicted
good results from its workings. But it
is now free to admit that it has proved
more detrimental than beneficial to the
common schools. Whether this is only
temporary and that in sine the good,
which is certainly potential quality IN
the law, may not become active, the
writer is unable to say. One thing is
certain: The repal of the law this year,
will for some time work disaster to q
number of the common schools until the
mischieyous notions inculcated by the
law are removed. The law failed to re
cognize the fact that the patrons of the
school needed the education which the
responsibility of providing for schools
gave, fully as much as do the children
for whose sole benefit the schools are
supposed to be, need the training which
it is the function of the school TO
give. In voting a tax sufficiently
large to maintain a school the people
felt the value of that for which they
paid directly a good round sum. A
school supported by other means than
local taxation self-imposed, ceases to be
valued. There is less absenteeism in
the denominational than in the public
schools, because the tax is personal and
more direct than in the public school.
This is not reasoning q 21riort as the
writer has had abundant opportunity to
study the effects Of the law, and was pre-.
disposed in its favor until observation
made him question its wisdom. There
is not the same interest in annual school
meetings there was before this law went
into effect or rather before its provisions
were understood. In nearly every in
stance in this county the district school
tax has been reduced by sum equal to
that which is received through the oper
alton of this mill tax. The people feel
| that they have been relieved of burden
not that they have additional means OF
providing educational facilities. Many
look upon the income of this tax as a
gratuity as it comes in a roundabout
way. 1t will take years to get school
districts so that they will willingly tax
themselves as heavily for school purposes
as they did before the enactment of this
law. Any law which will produce such
an effect is unwise, undesirable and
pernicious.
The very struggle in school districts to
secure tax large enough to maintain a
tolerable school is educating. After
all, the child belongs more to the family
than to the state and what comes through
local effort is more valued than what APP,
pears to be a donation, The one mill
tax has not increased wages, improved
school houses or heightened school terms.
Hard times were pleaded more last fall
than ever before in this county in extern,
uation of low wages paid to teachers,
than ever before, Notwithstanding that the
one mill tax is almost a constant quantity
and the hard times produced little or no
effect upon the income of the district
treasury.
Possibly. the law has not been sufi-
GENTLY tested and it should have farther
trial than has yet been given it. 1t may
be unwise to repeal it as the good it is
possible for it to do may develop within
the near future. Thus far the tendency
of the law has been injurious.
irht IL, g.,